


When I die I'll be on time

by polymathic_dragon



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Afterlife, Alternate Universe - Afterlife, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Compliant, M/M, Reunions, Soulmates, Undying Lands, Valinor, all the feels, bagginshield
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-25
Updated: 2017-10-25
Packaged: 2019-01-22 19:50:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12489524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/polymathic_dragon/pseuds/polymathic_dragon
Summary: When Bilbo looked back on his life, he realized he had always been late. Especially when it truly mattered.





	When I die I'll be on time

_But I was late for this, late for that, late for the love of my life_

_And when I die alone, when I die alone, when I die I'll be on time_

\- _Cleopatra by The Lumineers_

 

When Bilbo looked back on his life, he realized he had always been late. To be completely truthful he had never been late in his first 50 years of life. A proper gentlehobbit was never late, especially a Baggins of Bag End. That was until thirteen dwarves showed up on his doorstep demanding dinner and a burglar to accompany them to slay a dragon and reclaim their home. No, what he had realized in all of his years in the world alone was that he had been late when it truly mattered, starting the moment he stepped out of his front door without his handkerchief.

The morning Thorin and company departed the Shire, they had done so without him while he slept. He had been late for his adventure.

In the darkness of the Misty Mountains, he had gotten into that almost-deadly game of riddles with Gollum and had barely made it out of the goblin tunnels at all, only to be late to defend why he had come on the adventure in the first place. The only thing redeeming him had been his emboldened speech about the importance of home.  

Hiding in the shadows of Thranduil's kingdom, it had taken him forever to set the dwarves free from their cells, sending them in barrels to Laketown. They had almost been too late to find the hidden key hole on Durin's day.

And in the end, he had been too late to save the love of his life. A love Bilbo didn't realize he had until Thorin died in his arms. 

And then, as if the pain of loss hadn't been enough, he had revealed the existence of the one ring to Gandalf far too late and thus let Frodo suffer in his stead.

Now at the end of his very long life, Bilbo finally was going to be on time. Lord Elrond led him carefully onto the ship going to the Undying Lands. Bilbo's now white curls moved gently in the breeze and he had Frodo by his side. He would be on time for his own death and he would welcome it for how many times he had been late.

As the ship sailed into the west and the sun shone down on him, Bilbo closed his eyes. 

Bilbo awoke in a bed that wasn't his own, nor was it the chair he had fallen asleep in on the deck of the ship. They must have arrived while he slept. He stood and stretched, not feeling the familiar ache of old age as he had when they left Rivendell for the last time. He thought little of it though, the Undying Lands wouldn't be talked of so highly if one still had the aches and pains of the world in their bones upon arriving.

He opened the door to the hall and stepped out. The hallway was made of stone and lit by torches on the wall. Bilbo touched it gently, it was smooth and cool. A strange place indeed, but he had seen plenty in his life to not be concerned by a stone hallway that held some distant familiarity. He chose a direction and set off. The hallway eventually opened up to a wider room. This one was also made of stone, with high ceilings. A fireplace burned brightly on one wall and large plush chairs sat facing it.     

"You're late, burglar" a voice called out from one of the large chairs, making Bilbo startle. Burglar? He hadn't been called that in many years and that voice sounded...familiar.

"Am I?" Bilbo responded, stepping closer to the chairs. A figure stood, a strong build with dark hair that fell loose over his shoulders. Bilbo's breath caught in his throat and he stilled, rooted to the spot. His mind trying to put together the pieces of a puzzle he didn't have a reference for. Where was he? That voice and this person...this _dwarf_ couldn't be...could he? The figure stepped out from the chair and came to stand in front of Bilbo, arms crossed in front of him.

"Thorin," Bilbo breathed, barely a whisper.

Bilbo reached his hand out tentatively, letting his fingers just barely touch the fur lined jacket Thorin had worn throughout their adventure. This couldn't be real. What a cruel trick, Bilbo thought, to play with his feelings like this. Bilbo could feel the tears stinging the corners of his eyes.

At the sight of Bilbo's despair, Thorin softened and smiled. Thorin reached out to gently grasp Bilbo's shoulders, "Bilbo," his voice was gentle, "I assure you. I'm real."

Bilbo looked up and caught sight of Thorin's blue eyes shining and the smile on his face, one that Bilbo had missed and had cherished for years in his memory.

Bilbo scrubbed at his eyes with his sleeve, "But you can't be. This must be a cruel joke. I watched you _die_ , Thorin."

Thorin nodded slowly and sighed, letting the words hang in the air before continuing, "I did die Bilbo. And I've been waiting quite awhile for you, you know." Thorin smiled once more, just a small one, lifting the corners of his mouth, "who knew hobbits lived so long."

Despite all the questions and thoughts whirling rapidly around Bilbo's head, the only thing he could think was that he had been late again. "We don't. It seems I was late to my own death as well," Bilbo sighed. And then Thorin laughed, a great, big, joyous laugh and pulled Bilbo into his arms, "No, Bilbo. You've always arrived exactly when I've needed you the most."

**Author's Note:**

> Considering my obsession with reading alternate universe-everyone lives/nobody dies bagginshield fics, leave it to me to have my first posted fic follow canon and make me cry. But writing it was also strangely therapeutic. 
> 
> I got the idea while listening to The Lumineers song 'Cleopatra'. Listening to the lyrics I knew they had bagginshield written all over them. Title of the fic is from the song.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!


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